Great Company with Jamie Laing

Sam Thompson and I grew up together on Made in Chelsea. What started as a friendship on the show became something much deeper - he became like a brother to me. We spoke every day and he was there for me through some of the hardest moments in my life.

Then everything changed. We had our biggest fallout and it all played out on TV.

Since then, we’ve rebuilt our friendship. I’ve watched Sam turn one of the toughest years of his life into one of his best. This conversation looks back at what broke us and what brought us back together.

We cover:
- Growing up on Made In Chelsea
- Our biggest fallout and the phone call that brought us back together
- Sam’s first heartbreak and what it’s taught him
- Wanting to be a dad and Sam’s fear that time is running out
- Why 2025 ended up being Sam’s best year yet

This conversation is about how our hardest years can end up teaching us the most - and how it’s never too late to say sorry.

Sam Thompson is Great Company.

Sam's podcast with co-host Pete Wicks, Staying Relevant is available wherever you get your podcasts. Sam’s new ITV show ‘Celebrity Sabotage’ comes to your screens in February 2026. Sam is a proud ambassador for ADHD UK - please see here for more information, www.adhduk.co.uk.

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - join today at theaa.com/great T&Cs apply. Verify claims at theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS
Executive Producer: Ewan Newbigging-Lister
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett
Social Media: Laura Coughlan
Audio: Rafi Amsili Geovannetti

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you doing dry January? Curious about sober living? Or trying to be more mindful about what you eat and drink? This Great Moment is for you.

Dr Federica Amati is a leading expert and Head Nutritionist at the health app ZOE. She was one of our first ever guests on Great Company and she completely changed the way I think about alcohol.

In this Great Moment, Dr Amati reveals the dangerous link between alcohol and breast cancer, explains why every unit matters and shares simple changes we can all make to our diet to live a happier, healthier life.

Listen to the full episode HERE!

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

THE CREDITS
Executive Producers: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji
Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanessa Williams is an absolute powerhouse. She’s a Grammy-nominated recording artist, an award-winning actor and a global cultural icon, known for roles in Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives and currently starring as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada on the West End.

At just 20 years old, Vanessa became the first Black woman to win the Miss America crown. It was a historic moment that changed her life overnight. But making history came at a cost: she faced de*th threats, FBI protection and a level of public scrutiny few could imagine.

In this episode, we cover:
How Vanessa broke barriers as the first Black woman to win Miss America
Navigating de*th threats and hate after her win
Singing live at the Super Bowl and the Oscars
Aging on camera and her thoughts on cosmetic surgery
What Vanessa's mum told Elton John when they met

This is a conversation about strength, resilience and refusing to be defined by other people.

Vanessa Williams is Great Company.

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

This episode is sponsored by The AA, the UK’s No.1 breakdown provider. It’s OK with the AA, they’re the fastest major breakdown provider with more patrols up and down the country, 24/7, 365 days a year. So, if you want that peace of mind and be back on the road in no time - Join today at theaa.com/great T&Cs apply. Verify claims a theaa.com/best

THE CREDITS
Executive Producers: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone
Producer: Helen Burke & Rema Mukena
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett
Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grief is something we’ll all experience at some point in our lives and that can feel quite daunting. But my conversation on Great Company with the incredible singer-songwriter Cat Burns completely changed the way I think about it.

In this Great Moment, Cat opens up about losing her dad and the impact that grief had on her. She reflects on how it reshaped the way she connects others, and why people who experience loss are often some of the most loving people you’ll ever meet.

Listen to the full episode HERE!

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

THE CREDITS
Executive Producers: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji
Social Media: Laura Coughlan

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MIKA’s music is full of colour. It’s bold, joyful and instantly recognisable. It’s the kind of music that lifts you up and meeting MIKA, that same energy radiates through.

He’s lived a fascinating life, shaped by bright moments and darker ones too. In this conversation, we talk about the years before his success, the awkwardness of putting yourself out there and how, at his treasured white piano, he found a place of freedom where creativity led, identity didn’t need explaining and he could be himself.

We cover:
- Fleeing Beirut with his family after civil war broke out
- The teacher who tormented him and why he was forced to leave school
- How music became a warm ‘hug’ when everything else fell apart
- Turning up at Warner Music aged 12 with his demo tracks
- Celebrating his sexuality through his music
- Why embarrassment can be a force of good

MIKA’s story is a reminder that the things that make us different are often the very things that save us.

MIKA is Great Company.

If you enjoyed the show, you can also follow us:
Instagram- @greatcompanypodcast
TikTok - @greatcompanypodcast

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: [email protected]

THE CREDITS
Executive Producers: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone
Producer: Helen Burke
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji & Ryley Kirby
Social Media: Laura Coughlan & Anthony Barter

Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.